In medical radiography an image of a patient's tissue and bone structure is produced by exposing the patient to X-radiation and recording the pattern of penetrating X-radiation using a radiographic element containing at least one radiation-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer coated on a transparent (usually blue tinted) film support. The X-radiation can be directly recorded by the emulsion layer where only limited areas of exposure are required, as in dental imaging and the imaging of body extremities. However, a more efficient approach, which greatly reduces X-radiation exposures, is to employ an intensifying screen in combination with the radiographic element. The intensifying screen absorbs X-radiation and emits longer wavelength electromagnetic radiation which silver halide emulsions more readily absorb. Another technique for reducing patient exposure is to coat two silver halide emulsion layers on opposite sides of the film support to form a "double coated" radiographic element.
Diagnostic needs can be satisfied at the lowest patient X-radiation exposure levels by employing a double coated radiographic element in combination with a pair of intensifying screens. The silver halide emulsion layer unit on each side of the support directly absorbs about 1 to 2 percent of incident X-radiation. The front screen, the screen nearest the X-radiation source, absorbs a much higher percentage of X-radiation, but still transmits sufficient X-radiation to expose the back screen, the screen farthest from the X-radiation source.
An imagewise exposed double coated radiographic element contains a latent image in each of the two silver halide emulsion layer units on opposite sides of the film support. Processing converts the latent images to silver images and concurrently fixes out undeveloped silver halide, rendering the film light insensitive. When the film is mounted on a view box, the two superimposed silver images on opposite sides of the support are seen as a single image against a white, illuminated background.
An art recognized difficulty with employing double coated radiographic elements in combination with intensifying screens as described above is that some light emitted by each screen passes through the transparent film support to expose the silver halide emulsion layer unit on the opposite side of the support. The light emitted by a screen that exposes the emulsion layer unit on the opposite side of the support reduces image sharpness. The effect is referred to in the art as crossover.
A variety of approaches have been suggested to reduce crossover, as illustrated by Research Disclosure, Vol. 184, August 1979, Item 18431, Section V. Cross-Over Exposure Control. Research Disclosure is published by Kenneth Mason Publications, Ltd., Dudley Annex, 21a North Street, Emsworth, Hampshire P010 7DQ, England. While some of these approaches are capable of entirely eliminating crossover, they either interfere with (typically entirely prevent) concurrent viewing of the superimposed silver images on opposite sides of the support as a single image, require separation and tedious manual reregistration of the silver images in the course of eliminating the crossover reduction medium, or significantly desensitize the silver halide emulsion. As a result, none of these crossover reduction approaches have come into common usage in the radiographic art. An example of a recent crossover cure teaching of this type is Bollen et al, European published patent application 276,497, which interposes a reflective support between the emulsion layer units during imaging.
The most successful approach to crossover reduction yet realized by the art consistent with viewing the superimposed silver images through a transparent film support without manual registration of images has been to employ double coated radiographic elements containing spectrally sensitized high aspect ratio tabular grain emulsions or thin intermediate aspect ratio tabular grain emulsions, illustrated by Abbott et al, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,425,425 and 4,425,426, respectively. Whereas radiographic elements typically exhibited crossover levels of at least 25 percent prior to Abbott et al, Abbott et al provide examples of crossover reductions in the 15 to 22 percent range.
Still more recently Dickerson et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,803,150, hereinafter referred to as Dickerson et al I, has demonstrated that by combining the teachings of Abbott et al with a processing solution decolorizable microcrystalline dye located between at least one of the emulsion layer units and the transparent film support "zero" crossover levels can be realized. Since the technique used to determine crossover (single screen exposure of a double coated radiographic element) cannot distinguish between exposure of the emulsion layer unit on the side of the support remote from the screen caused by crossover and the exposure caused by direct absorption of X-radiation, "zero" crossover radiographic elements in reality embrace radiographic elements with a measured crossover (including direct X-ray absorption) of less than about 5 percent.
Dickerson et al, U.S. Patent 4,900,652, hereinafter referred to as Dickerson et al II, adds to the teachings of Dickerson et al I, cited above, specific selections of hydrophilic colloid coating coverage in the emulsion and dye containing layers to allow the "zero" crossover radiographic elements to emerge dry to the touch from a conventional rapid access processor in less than 90 seconds with the crossover reducing microcrystalline dye decolorized.
Dickerson and Bunch, U.S. Pat. No. 4,997,750 (hereinafter Dickerson and Bunch I) discloses low crossover double coated radiographic elements in which the emulsion layer units on opposite sides of the support differ in speed.
Dickerson and Bunch, U.S. Pat. No. 4,994,355 (hereinafter Dickerson and Bunch II) discloses low crossover double coated radiographic elements in which the emulsion layer units on opposite sides of the support differ in contrast.
Bunch and Dickerson, U.S. Pat. No. 5,021,327 discloses low crossover double coated radiographic elements in combination with a pair of intensifying screens, where the back emulsion layer unit-intensifying screen combination exhibits a photicity twice that of the front emulsion layer unit-intensifying screen combination.
Dickerson and Bunch I and II as well as Bunch and Dickerson disclose a low crossover double coated radiographic element having a fast low contrast emulsion layer unit on one side of the support and a slow high contrast emulsion layer unit on the opposite side of the support.
Jebo et al, Statutory Invention Registration H1105 discloses low crossover double coated radiographic elements with emulsion layer units on opposite sides of the support that differ in sensitometric properties. A feature is included for ascertaining which of the emulsion layer units is positioned nearest a source of X-radiation during exposure.
Dickerson and Bunch, U.S. Pat. No. 5,108,881 discloses a low crossover radiographic element in which a faster silver halide emulsion layer unit coated on one side of the support exhibits a lower contrast than a slower silver halide emulsion layer unit coated on the opposite side of the support.
Radiographic elements that produce higher contrast images at lower densities and lower contrast images at higher densities are disclosed by Suzuki et al, published European Patent Application 0 126 644 and Belgian Pat. No. 530,129, issued Jul. 31, 1954. Suzuki et al blended emulsions to achieve this result while the Belgian Patent suggests coating higher and lower contrast emulsions on the opposite sides of a support.